Last week we mapped out seven dinners for under $10 a serve. This week, we’re staying warm.
Nothing solves a cold evening quite like a proper homemade soup – and nothing exposes the lie of expensive convenience food quite like realising you can make something significantly better, for a fraction of the price, in about half an hour. These seven soups cover every late autumn – winter craving: silky and smooth, chunky and hearty, deeply comforting and quietly exotic. One is French. One has coconut milk. One is the best chicken and corn soup you will ever make at home.
All seven serve four. All seven cost less than $10 to make. Most cost considerably less.
Serve with good bread and call it dinner. Nobody will complain.
Silky, warming and deeply sweet – this is the soup winter was invented for. The ginger adds warmth without heat and lifts the whole bowl. Estimated cost: $6
Servings 4
Ingredients
1 kg butternut or kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 millilitres sour cream or cream to serve
Method
1 Soften the base: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 brown onion, roughly choppedand cook for 6 minutes until soft. Add 3 garlic cloves, crushed and 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger) and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
2 Simmer: Add 1 kg butternut or kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped into chunks and 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is completely tender.
3 Blend and serve: Blitz with a stick blender until completely smooth. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Serve with a swirl of 100 millilitres sour cream or cream to serve and crusty bread.
Tip: Roast the pumpkin instead of simmering it for a deeper, more caramelised flavour. Toss in oil, roast at 200°C for 25 minutes, then blend with the stock. To serve: A swirl of sour cream and a pinch of smoked paprika.
A hearty Italian-style soup that eats like a meal. White beans give it body and protein, kale gives it depth. Estimated cost: $7
Servings 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons tins of cannellini beans (400g each), drained
1 bunch of kale or silverbeet, stalks removed, roughly chopped
400 grams tin of crushed tomatoes
1 llitre chicken or vegetable stock
1 brown onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 carrot
1 potato
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons parmesan to serve
Method
1 Build the base: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add vegetables, 1 brown onion, diced and cook 6 minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves, sliced and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and cook 1 minute.
2 Add beans and tomatoes: Add 400 grams tin of crushed tomatoes and 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock. Add one tin of 2 tablespoons tins of cannellini beans (400g each), drained. Mash the second tin roughly with a fork and add it too — this thickens the soup beautifully. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3 Add kale and serve: Stir in 1 bunch of kale or silverbeet, stalks removed, roughly chopped and cook 4 minutes just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with 2 tablespoons parmesan to serve and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tip: Add a parmesan rind to the soup while it simmers – it adds an extraordinary depth of flavour. Remove before serving. Bread: This soup was made to be eaten with thick slices of toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil.
Warming, gently spiced and velvety smooth — red lentils dissolve into the most beautifully textured soup without any blending required. The coconut milk makes it extraordinary. Estimated cost: $7
Servings 4
Ingredients
200 grams red lentils, rinsed
400 millilitres tin of coconut milk
1 litre vegetable stock
1 brown onion, diced
1 sweet potato
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 fresh coriander to serve
Method
1 Build the spice base: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sweet potato, 1 brown onion, diced and cook 7 minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves, crushed, 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ground coriander. Stir for 2 minutes until deeply fragrant.
2 Add lentils and simmer: Add 200 grams red lentils, rinsed, 1 litre vegetable stock and 400 millilitres tin of coconut milk. Stir well. Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes 20:00, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have completely dissolved into the broth.
3 Finish and serve: Squeeze in 1 lemon, juiced. Taste and adjust seasoning – it needs more salt than you expect. Ladle into bowls and top with 2 fresh coriander to serve. Serve with warm flatbread or naan.
Why red lentils? Unlike other lentils, red lentils dissolve completely as they cook, creating a naturally thick, creamy texture without any blending. The turmeric: Don’t skip it. It gives the soup its beautiful golden colour and powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Optional: A teaspoon of chilli flakes for extra warmth. A little squeeze of lime adds zest.
The most impressive soup you can make for the least money. Patient caramelisation is the entire secret – give it time and onions transform into something extraordinary. Estimated cost: $6
Servings 4
Ingredients
6 large brown onions, thinly sliced
60 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 litre good quality beef stock (or vegetable for vegetarian)
4 thick slices of sourdough or baguette
80 grams gruyère or Swiss cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Method
1 Caramelise the onions (patience required): Heat 60 grams unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 6 large brown onions, thinly sliced and 1 teaspoon sugar and stir to coat. Cook over low heat for 40 minutes 40:00, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions are deeply golden, sticky and jammy. Do not rush this step.
2 Add stock and simmer: Pour in 1 litre good quality beef stock (or vegetable for vegetarian). Stir in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3 Top with cheese toasts and grill: Preheat your grill to high. Toast 4 thick slices of sourdough or baguette until golden on both sides. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, float a toast on top of each and pile on 80 grams gruyère or Swiss cheese, grated. Place under the grill for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
The golden rule: Do not rush the caramelisation. Low and slow is everything. If you try to speed it up, the onions steam rather than caramelise. The deep, sweet flavour is built over 40 minutes of patient stirring – it cannot be faked. The cheese toasts: If you don’t have oven-safe bowls, simply float a cheese toast on top of each bowl and serve immediately.
Silky, golden and deeply comforting – this is the chicken and corn soup Australians grew up eating, made properly from scratch. Estimated cost: $8
Servings 4
Ingredients
400 grams chicken breast or thigh, poached and shredded (leftover or freshly poached)
420 grams tin of creamed corn
200 grams tin of corn kernels, drained
1.2 litres chicken stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons sesame oil
3 spring onions, finely sliced
Method
1 Build the soup: Bring 1.2 litres chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot. Add 420 grams tin of creamed corn, 200 grams tin of corn kernels, drained and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes 05:00.
2 Thicken: Mix 2 tablespoons cornflour with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Pour into the simmering soup while stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
3 Add chicken and eggs: Add 400 grams chicken breast or thigh, poached and shredded (leftover or freshly poached). While stirring the soup in a slow circle, pour 2 eggs, lightly beaten in a thin steady stream to create silky egg ribbons.
4 Finish and serve: Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoons sesame oil. Season with salt and white pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with 3 spring onions, finely sliced.
The egg ribbons: Pour the beaten egg in a thin, slow stream while stirring the soup in a circle. This creates the classic silky ribbons rather than scrambled egg clumps. Rotisserie shortcut: A supermarket rotisserie chicken (around $10) gives you both the shredded meat and a carcass for making stock – excellent value. And there is plenty of chicken leftover for additional sandwiches.
A big-hearted Italian soup packed with vegetables, pasta and flavour. It tastes better the next day and costs almost nothing to make. Estimated cost: $8
Servings 4
Ingredients
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
400 grams tin of crushed tomatoes
400 grams tin of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained
1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
80 grams small pasta (ditalini, small elbows or broken spaghetti)
1 brown onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons parmesan to serve
Method
1 Build the vegetable base: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Add 1 brown onion, diced and cook 10 minutes 10:00. Add 3 garlic cloves, crushed, 2 celery stalks, diced, 2 carrots, diced and 1 zucchini, diced. Cook 5 minutes more, stirring regularly.
2 Add tomatoes and beans: Add 400 grams tin of crushed tomatoes, 400 grams tin of borlotti or cannellini beans, drainedand 1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
3 Add pasta and serve: Add 80 grams small pasta (ditalini, small elbows or broken spaghetti) and cook 10 minutes 10:00until tender. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve topped with 2 tablespoons parmesan to serve and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Make-ahead winner: Minestrone genuinely improves overnight as the flavours meld. Make a big pot and eat it across two days. Pasta tip: Add the pasta in the last 10 minutes only – if you add it earlier it absorbs too much liquid and becomes stodgy. Or cook the pasta separately and add to each bowl.
Elegant, creamy and deeply warming — this is a soup that tastes like it came from a French bistro. It is also one of the cheapest and easiest things you can make. Estimated cost: $6
Servings 4
Ingredients
4 medium potatoes (approx 800g), peeled and diced
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced and washed well
60 grams unsalted butter
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
100 millilitres thickened cream
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 fresh chives, finely snipped to serve
Method
1 Soften the leeks slowly: Melt 60 grams unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced and washed well and 3 garlic cloves, sliced and cook very gently for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the leeks are completely soft and silky. Do not let them brown.
2 Add potatoes and stock: Add 4 medium potatoes (approx 800g), peeled and diced and 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then simmer 20 minutes 20:00 until the potatoes are completely tender.
3 Blend, cream and serve: Blitz until completely smooth with a stick blender. Stir in 100 milliliters thickened cream. Season generously with salt and white pepper – this soup needs more salt than you expect. Serve topped with 2 fresh chives, finely snipped to serve.
The leek secret: Wash sliced leeks thoroughly in a bowl of cold water – they trap grit between their layers. Lift them out rather than pouring through a sieve, which just deposits the grit back on them. Served cold: This soup is the famous French vichyssoise when chilled. Make it, refrigerate overnight and serve cold with extra cream and chives for a completely different and equally elegant dish.
All seven done.